Ecology program in the Emscher-Lippe area

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The ecology program in the Emscher-Lippe area , or ÖPEL for short , is a funding program established by the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1991 to improve ecological conditions in the Ruhr area .

Approximately 15 million euros are made available annually from state funds (municipal financing law and individual plan of the Ministry for the Environment and Nature Conservation, Agriculture and Consumer Protection in North Rhine-Westphalia). The European Union has also been funding the program since 1996, financed from the NRW-EU program Objective 2 (Phase V) funds.

The aim of the program is the ecological upgrading of the Emscher - Lippe area with the central area of ​​the Emscher Landscape Park . An important key project was the Emscher Park International Building Exhibition in 1999. Funding is provided for measures, including land acquisition, which restore, develop and sustainably secure the ecological functions of this area. These extend over 13 subject areas, whereby a measure can be assigned to several subject areas:

  • Optimization of the Emscher, its inlets and the Lippe inlet
  • Classic nature protection in the form of securing and developing nature reserves
  • Restoration of brownfield sites including securing and remediation of contaminated sites
  • Acquisition and first afforestation of forest areas
  • Extensification of agriculture and conversion to alternative farming
  • Exemplary ecological allotment gardens and tenant gardens
  • Development of a network of paths for cyclists and pedestrians
  • Leisure activities compatible with the landscape
  • Securing and presenting traces of the history of the landscape
  • Interpretation and design of the landscape (e.g. as an artistically designed landmark)
  • Establishment of eco-stations
  • Planning and management
  • Human resources measures

One of the main aspects is the creation of a green corridor in a local-west direction along the Emscher and the Rhine-Herne Canal ; the previous green corridors are pronounced in a north-south direction. Measures that are already financed from other sources such as fees or other funding programs are not funded.

Support is provided to communities and community associations from the Recklinghausen, Unna and Wesel districts as well as the independent cities of Bochum, Bottrop, Dortmund, Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Hamm, Herne, Mülheim / Ruhr and Oberhausen, which corresponds to an area of ​​800 square kilometers. If EU funds are used, other persons under public law can also submit applications. The legal basis is the state budget regulation (LHO), ÖPEL guideline.

Although the funding area is located in three government districts (Düsseldorf, Arnsberg and Münster), the applications and funds are administered centrally by the district president in Münster . In this way, on the one hand, a constant standard can be achieved across the borders of the administrative districts and, on the other hand, administrative costs can be saved. Applications can be submitted in the first half of the budget year. Funding takes the form of partial financing of up to 80 or 90% of the eligible costs.

Between 1991 and 2006 over 400 projects were funded, well-known projects included:

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: ÖPEL guidelines (PDF; 15 kB)@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.bezreg-muenster.nrw.de
  2. ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: table of all funded measures from 1991–2006 (PDF; 902 kB)@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.bezreg-muenster.nrw.de

Web links